Connections: Summer 2022

1966

Johnny Vaughan has written a book titled Against all Odds: Coincidence or God’s Providence? relating a number of his personal experiences which appear to be too well coordinated to have been merely coincidences with the thesis that God’s providence continually intervened in his life. His college experiences, including a narrative of Harding’s 1966 national championship business team, consume several chapters. He and his wife, Shirley Swayne (’70), have three children and seven grandchildren.

1985

Jeriel McGinness retired after 36 years as an art teacher. His first three years were spent at Beaumont Christian High in Beaumont, Texas, and the remaining 33 years he taught in Woodstock, Illinois. He led several school/community mosaic projects which were recently chronicled in the Chicago Sun Times. He received a Master of Arts in art education from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Kristy Barhydt, have two sons, Jake and Drew, a current engineering student.

1987

Blaine Alexander is the new principal at Sheridan High School. He was previously interim principal at East End Middle School. He had been working since 2009 with the Arkansas Leadership Academy where he was responsible for collaborating with school districts across the state to develop strategic plans for continual district and campus-level improvement. He obtained his Doctor of Education from the University of Arkansas and has achieved Master Principal designation.

Bob Davidson joined Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, as vice president of marketing and communications with three decades of experience in the health care industry, including 17 years in pediatric hospitals. He came to Children’s from SSM Health in St. Louis, where he most recently served as system vice president of marketing operations. He holds a master’s degree in media communications from Webster University in St. Louis.

1991

Kristine Witzeling Morris successfully defended her dissertation titled “The Impact of Immigrant-Focused Public Policy on the Completion of Undergraduate Nursing Degrees by Latinx Students Enrolled in U.S. Public Institutions,” earning her doctorate in higher education from University of North Texas. She serves as director of undergraduate programs for the College of Nursing at Texas Woman’s University in Denton.

1993

David Kirkbride is the new superintendent of schools at Denison Independent School District. He brings 16 years of service at DISD to the superintendent’s position, including nine years as principal of Terrell Elementary School followed by seven years as assistant superintendent for administration. He holds a doctorate from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in education from Delta State University. He previously served as an assistant principal in Shelby County Schools in Memphis, Tennessee. He and his wife, Christine Hill (’92), have seven children.

Stacy Kymes is president and CEO of BOK Financial. He was appointed to the company’s board of directors in August 2021. He has been with the company for 25 years serving in various roles including chief auditor, director of mergers and acquisitions, chief credit officer and chief operating officer. He is married to Angel Freeman .

1994

Jeff Goodson is a new partner in the Clarksville, Tennessee, law firm of Batson Nolan. He obtained his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. From 1994 until 2001, he worked at Lovell Communications Inc., a marketing communications firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. He then worked as an associate at the Law Office of John Cobb Rochford, and in 2008 he formed the Law office of Jeff T. Goodson. In 2012 he joined the Clarksville City Attorney’s Office, and in 2013 he was promoted to deputy city attorney. He previously served as president of the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association.

Poppy O’Guin Steele received her Juris Doctor from Nashville School of Law in 2021. She is working for Elder Law of Middle Tennessee. She and her husband, Chris, live in Nashville, Tennessee, and have two daughters and one grandchild.

1995

Ryan P. Blue has joined the Rogers, Arkansas, office of Hall Booth Smith PC. He earned a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law and a Master of Divinity from Multnomah Biblical Seminary.

1996

Michael C. Moore is the new executive deputy medical center director of Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock. He oversees delivery of health care to more than 79,000 veterans and a budget of $817 million at one of the largest Veterans Affairs medical centers in the country. He joined the VA more than 20 years ago and has held progressive leadership positions across VA Heartland Network in Kansas City, Missouri, most recently serving as deputy network director, VISN 15. He obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from Texas Tech University. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a graduate of the Veterans’ Health Administration’s Executive Career Field Development Program.

1997

Daniel Velasco earned his Master of Business Administration from Harding in 2002. He entered seminary in 2014 and was ordained in 2020. He has a dual assignment in Fort Smith, Arkansas, serving as associate pastor at Immaculate Conception Church and chaplain at Trinity Catholic School, where he helps coach tennis. He keeps his skills up by playing tennis with several local pros.

2000

Daniel Fosbinder has joined the Austin Hatcher Foundation staff as the facilities and industrial arts manager. He has more than 15 years of experience in construction and low voltage electric work.

2005

Steven and Naomi Richardson Valentine announce the birth of a son, James, Feb. 14, 2022 — a Valentine born on Valentine’s Day. They have two other children.

2006

Chris Hanvey has been named manager of Proprietary Property Management/Special Access Programs for Boeing with employees across the country in multiple locations. He has worked for Boeing more than 15 years in property management and quality assurance roles supporting Boeing’s Defense Space and Security Division after first interning there in 2005. He and his wife, Christina, have two daughters, Peyton and Skylar, and live in McKinney, Texas.

2007

Michael (’09) and Emily Morris Daniel announce the birth of a daughter, Rose Lee, Jan. 19, 2022. Michael is a physician assistant, and Emily is a singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.

2008

Adam Bledsoe has joined the THV11 team in Little Rock, Arkansas, as co-host for the station’s lifestyle program “The Vine.” He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served in Arkansas Law Enforcement agencies for nearly a decade.

Eric Wallace and Heather Browning announce the birth of a daughter, Zoey Monroe, Dec. 2, 2021. They reside in Washington, D.C., where Eric is a naval aviator and Heather is a fundraiser for the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

2009

Langdon Dement earned a master’s in occupational health and safety from Murray State University. He is a global EHS Specialist with Evotix. He has more than 10 years experience in implementing and maintaining health, safety and risk management programs and policies. He is a Certified Safety Professional and an Associate Ergonomics Practitioner and is a member of American Society of Safety Professionals and American Industrial Hygiene Association. He has presented nationally and internationally on culture transformation, the importance of incident management, and job hazard analysis.

Kate Ramsey is a software developer with Mainstream Technologies. She has a certificate in Backend Software Development from Iron Yard.

2010

Shayna Varner received an award at City and State’s Above and Beyond Gala held in Philadelphia. This was the first-ever event celebrating influential and thought-provoking women in Pennsylvania who have demonstrated leadership in their field and made significant contributions to society. She is vice president for strategy for the Pennsylvania Health Care Association headquartered in Harrisburg and received her master’s from West Virginia University.

2011

Brian Maupin is the new head football coach at Maumelle High School. He spent the past eight seasons as an assistant at Joe T. Robinson, his high school alma mater. He and his wife, Sallie Carswell (’14), have three children.

Heather Porto Williams is the new principal at East End Middle School in the Sheridan (Arkansas) School district. She previously served as principal at Perritt Primary School in the Arkadelphia School District. In 2021, she was named National Outstanding Assistant Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. She holds an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership and administration from University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Education degree in reading from University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

2012

Matthew Cramblett is vice president and commercial loan officer at Citizens Bank’s location in Rogers, Arkansas. He began his career as a credit analyst at First Security Bank and then entered commercial lending at Relyance Bank, where he worked as vice president for more than five years. He serves as treasurer on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteers as a basketball coach at the Boys and Girls Club.

2013

John (’21) and Elizabeth Jones Golden announce the birth of a son, Hunt Jones, Sept. 24, 2021. They live in Brookland, Arkansas.

Will Reno is an assistant women’s soccer coach at George Washington University. He previously served as an assistant with the University of Connecticut men’s soccer program. He also had served as the goalkeeper director of Arlington Soccer Academy and head coach at Texas Spirit Club Soccer.

2014

Emily Clark Hill is a stockholder with Cromwell Architects Engineers. She is an award-winning interior designer involved in the American Society of Interior Designers and has worked in multiple positions at the local level, including the emerging profession chair to the South-Central Chapter Board, chair-elect and chair to the Central Arkansas Design Community.

Brian and Emilee Pryor Petree announce the birth of a daughter, Andee Elizabeth, on Sept. 16, 2021. Brian is youth minister at University Church of Christ in Shreveport, Louisiana.

2018

Brooke Bartel married Brady McVay on Sept. 25, 2021. Both are employed by NVR Mortgage.

Kamisha Watson Burlingame (M.Ed.), a fourth-grade teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Bentonville, Arkansas, received the prestigious Milken Educator Award April 27. She serves on the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports committee and sponsors the student council. An avid mountain biker, she helped start Jefferson’s bike club and often hits the trails with groups of students after school. She attended The Ron Clark Academy in 2015, which trains teachers in creative engagement strategies, many of which have made their way into her classroom. She holds National Board Certification in K-6 literacy.

Send us your news! Let us know about your wedding, a birth, job change, promotion, award, retirement, etc. Email your items to alumninews@harding.edu or write Harding University, Office of Alumni Relations, Box 10768, Searcy, AR 72149-5615.